Getting around in France
France has a well-developed network of its public transportation system, very similar to those of other European countries. It however has the advantage of affordability in general, but also depends on where you live. Most cities, within the Paris region (Ile-de-France) referring to Paris and the surrounding cities (Banlieue) boast of excellent accessibility between one another.
Public Transportation Network
The following are the common ways of getting around:
- Metro – Subway
- Tram
- Train – Intercity trains (RER and Transilien)
- Buses
- Highspeed Trains
The Navigo Travel Card
If you are living in Ile-de-France, you have the advantage of the Navigo Pass. This is the public transportation pass for the Paris region, covering 5 zones, with the main Paris city being in Zone 1. This pass is valid for all modes of public transportation mentioned above. The Navigo pass can be reloaded and you have weekly, monthly and yearly options for the various zones. The monthly cost of Zone 1 – 5 is about 84.10euros, while the weekly pass is 30euros for the same zones. This is way more affordable than what you have in other metropolitan cities in Europe.
There is also the Navigo Easy Travel Card and Navigo Découverte Travel Card allows are for For occasional or regular passengers for short periods and for tourists.. You can also obtain single tickets which is not cost effective if you plan to use the public transportation on a daily basis. The single tickets for the metro and buses cost 2.10euros.
The Navigo Travel pass is free, the Navigo Easy Travel Card costs 2euros and the Navigo Découverte Travel Card costs 5euros. More information can be found on the RATP and ÎledeFranceMobilie websites, which is available in English.